Aerosol spray device for insecticides, fertilizers, and the like



April 26, 1966 J JACOB AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE FOR INSECTICIDES, FERTILIZERS. AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1963 IN VEN TOR.

JACOB JOSEPH ATTORNEYS April 26, 1966 JACOB 3,247,655

AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE FOR INSECTICIDES, FERTILIZERS, AND THE LIKE Filed June 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH JACOB fla a ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,247,655 AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE FOR INSECTICIDES, FERTELIZERS, AND THE LIKE Joseph Jacob, 30319 Ashton Lane, Bay Village, Ohio Filed June 5, 1963, set. No. 287,463 7 Claims. (till. 56----255) This invention, relating as indicated to an aerosol spray device, is particularly directed to a spray device which is adapted to support one or more aerosol containers for use particularly in connection with a lawnmower or other moving device.

In general, in connection with aerosols, the containers are adapted to be operated by means of an actuating button on the container, and a limited amount of propellent, together with an insecticide or other agricultural product, is contained therein. In certain sections of the country it is particularly important to spray the entire ground, yard, or lawn surrounding a house because of the prevalence of mosquitoes, Japanese beetles, or the like, and also to provide the necessary nutrients. To do this at the same time that the grass is being cut and to provide more effective distribution and action of the material being applied, this spray device has been developed.

In general, in connection with this device, a bracket means provides at an acute angle to the lawnmower or other conveying means a support means for a can of aerosol, together with a lever or other actuating means. This device may be mounted upon the front board or support area of a lawnmower and may be angulated downwardly in front of the lawnmower through either a narrow or wide angled nozzle.

The structure of the aerosol container is such that the container must be held at the correct angle in order to permit the contents to be emptied completely. The tube contained in the bomb is curved into the front portion of the bottom of the container. The bomb must be maintained in a vertical position, tipped slightly forward, and it is the purpose .of this invention to insure that when the aerosol device is mounted in the bracket the proper angle is maintained and it will be emptied completely by the use of the remote attachments by the operator of the lawnmower.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved aerosol spray device for convenient application of insecticides and fertilizers, or any other aerosol contained material.

. A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus to dispense aerosol materials in connection with lawnmowers.

. A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved support bracket for aerosol cans with improved adjustment means so that a multiplicity of can sizes may be used, such as 12 and 16 ounce cans and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method for projecting aerosol insecticides, fertilizers, and other lawn care products at the ground level and passing an agitating device through the vicinity of the mist, churning up the mist and dispensing it more evenly in and around the foliage.

The sprayer is mounted so that the passage of the mower momentarily disturbs any insects that may be present, causing them to fly up or to leave their protected places, thus becoming more vulnerable to the insecticide when that is the material being sprayed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of my new and improved aerosol spray device;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional thin view along the line 2+2 of FIG. 1;

' proper operation.

Patented Apr. 26, 1966 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the deflecting means along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of a lawnmower with the spray device mounted thereon;

F I G. 5 is a further modification; and

FIG. 6 is a still further modification.

In connection with the drawings, 10 shows suitable means for connecting to a lawnmower. A U-bolt 11 is shown for fastening the bar to the bracket, the bracket being shown generally at 12. A thread means 13 on the U-bolt and a threaded fastener 14 attach the bracket 12 to thebar 1d. The bracket may be of various forms as subsequently shown in connection with FIGS. 7 and 10. The bracket may also be fastened, bolted or screwed directly to a suitable member of the mower, as shown in FIG. 4.

In general in connection with the bracket for the spray device, there is a sloped or pitched carriage member indicated at 15, and a plurality of supports 16 on the front and 17 on the rear. The sides of the sloped surface 15 are angulated as seen at 19 and 20 on either side, and there are a plurality of apertures 21 in registration on the opposite sides with connecting slots 22 therebetween on at least one-side. A lever device shown at 25, having one pivoted arm 27 and another arm 28 is adapted to be moved or actuated by a rope means 29. The device is pivoted by ends 30 and 31, and they fit into the circular apertures 21. By rotating the lever slightly, it will be seen that one end can be pushed up the slot, and it can be reinserted at another engaging position. Only one of the series of apertures need have the connecting slots therebetween, although, of course, both sides may have them.

The can itself is held on the sloped carriage by means of a spring 33 having connected brackets 34 fastened on either side. It will be seen that by this means the cartridge can be of varying shape and still fit within the bracket. The adjustment means on the lever previously described permits the use of 12 or 16 ounce carriers, and, in fact, this may be adapted for any size.

The actuating means consists of a permanently fixed member or deflector 37 connected by a pair of arms 38 and 39 from the carriage 15, and the deflector is shaped with a semicircular opening 40. The spray, as seen in connection with FIGS. 1 and 3, will extend downwardly and be expelled through a relatively narrow angle, which may be expanded by means of shaped nozzles to as much as degrees between the arms 38 and 39 so that, positioned as it is some inches above the level of the ground on the lawnmower, it may spread over the full width of the mower. By adjusting this slightly the coverage can be to one side or the other, and, in fact, the can and nozzle may be rotated so that the bushes to either side of the lawn can be sprayed by an additional pass of the mower, if this is desirable. The advantage of the deflector in particular, is, of course, that even under pretty stiff wind conditions, the spray is not deflected very much until it has cleared the nozzle and though it will be bent subsequently slightly, it seems to cover adequately under most wind conditions.

Because most mowers in use are not new and in top working condition, a considerable amount of vibration may be present during operation. The securing of the aerosol device by means of the illustrated spring maintains the proper angle and the stability essential for The mounting device may be attached to the mower by means of metal screws, vulcanizing, magnets, clamps, nuts and bolts, or any other suitable method, and can be arranged so as to spray ahead, behind, or to either side of the mower.

The arrangement of the parts can be seen clearly in connection with FIG. 4, and this view shows the manner in which the line 29' is attached to the spray device, while all other parts remain the same. The deck or front part of most lawnmowers has one or more apertures therein for guards or grills beneath to serve as a leaf mulcher, and this can be inserted through one or more of those openings.

The device is shown in connection with rotary mowers, but at the same time a reel-type means will serve the combination adequately.

In connection with this invention, it will be seen that it is desirable to use the standard type aerosol spray device. By this means I expect to use an agricultural product with a propellent. In general, it was thought that the fluorinated hydrocarbons would be the major portion of the propellent, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that combinations of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide would be used, and under some conditions butane may be used, as well as methylene chloride and some of the fiuorocarbons.

As to the insecticide, I mean by this, of course, that the invention could be used with the category of goods known as pesticides and this includes not only the insecticides proper but fungicides, herbicides, rodentieides, repellents, soil fumigants, space fumigants, and miticides. Examples of some of these materials would be: BHC (gamma basis), DDT, 2,4-D (acid equivalent), 2,4,5-T, copper sulfate, calcium arsenate, lead arsenate, sodium chlorate, etc. The fertilizers, of course, would include all types of soil and plant fertilizers which may be packaged in this manner.

The particular advantage of this device in connection with a lawnmower is that not only are the ground, lawn, and other areas completely covered by this combination, but every portion of the ground passes under the lawnmower in moving and if it did not cover one would notice strips therebetween. Also, in this combinaton, the contact killing chemicals, such as DDT and the like, will kill instantaneously the insects with which it comes into contact, and other chemicals, when ingested, will kill crawling or burrowing insects. As a consequence, the combination of the aerosol spray insecticide covering the area immediately above the ground and the foliage to the side, together with the agitation, either by the movement of the blade at high speed or of the reel, will provide a mixing action, with improved results. At the same time the movement of the foliage in and around the ground is helpful in connection with dispersing the chemicals under the foliage and so provides better action.

In FIG. there is a bar 75, a U-bolt 76 and a bracket member 77 having supports on the front and rear, respectively, at 78 and 79, and a sloped carriage 80 with a spring retaining means 81 and adjustment means for length of'can as at 82. A lever arm shown at 83 is operated by means of a cord or other means 84. A forwardly projecting arm 85 has a dependent portion 86 projecting in front of the nozzle, leaving a clear path for the spray. A pull on the rope 84 causes the lever 83 to push the can forwardly, even under the tension of spring 81, and to open the nozzle. A release of pressure, of course, will shut off the nozzle.

In connection with FIG. 6, a further modification is shown having a crossbar for support 119, a U-shaped bolt 121, a screw thread fastening means 122 and a bracket element shown generally at 123. Secured to the bracket is a carriage element 124 having a spring means 125 to hold the container 126 on the carriage. An arm 127 has a curved portion 128 and a head element 129 adapted to contact the nozzle 130. Arm 127 is disposed to move relative to the container 126. A cord 132 is connected to the end of the rod 127 at I33, and a pull on cord 132 will actuate the nozzle.

All of these brackets have been described because they have connecting or supporting means to the deck of the lawnmower or other device or to the supporting or connecting rod which extends between the right and left hand wheels of a hand-powered mower. This may be used either with rotary mowers or with reel type mowers. Each of the modifications described above has a carriage element at a sharp angle because all of these aerosol bombs are of generally the same construction and will operate nowhere near as well in the completely inverted position. At the same time the spray must cover the ground to properly perform the job. Since there is a tube leading down to the bottom of the container of fairly flexible material, it will gravitate normally toward the lowest point. The sloped carriage will provide this combination so that all of the propellent and contained product may be released from the container and still spread over a wide angle. It is intended that wide angled nozzles may well be used and for best coverage, perhaps a degree nozzle would cover the entire width of the mower if placed the proper height above the ground. Each of the brackets has some type of support means for the carriage at an acute angle, a garter or other type of spring holding the carriage and means between the bomb and actuating means for moving the carriage and aerosol device relative to one another by a lever arm pressing the rear of the can or by an arm actuating the upper portion of the can, i.e. by the arm moving the button actuator of the aerosol bomb.

A preferred combination is shown in connection with FIG. 1.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a few preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the invention. All of these variations and modifications are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an aerosol spray device, a base member, a sloped carriage member adapted to support an aerosol device, support means therebetween to hold the carriage member at an acute angle to the base member, spring means attached to said carriage member to hold said aerosol device tightly against the carriage, securing means for said aerosol spray device to fasten it to a lawnmower, fixed means on said carriage adapted to contact the aerosol container and support same against longitudinal movement, and pivotal means in connection with said carriage for moving a lever arm longitudinally with respect to said aerosol container to compress the actuator button therefor to spray the ground ahead and around the lawnmower.

2. In the aerosol spray device of claim 1 in which one of the means in connection with the aerosol container to operate the same is a deflector guard against which the aerosol container moves to compress the actuator button thereon, said guard having an opening in a portion thereof, said opening being disposed in front of the actuator button and thereabove so as not to interfere with the line of the spray in a downward direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol container and actuator button.

3. In the aerosol spray device of claim 1 in which the pivotal means comprises a lever arm having a pivot point on the sides of the carriage, one arm of said lever being adapted to press against the rear of the aerosol container and the other end being attached to a linear actuating means to turn the lever and push the aerosol container against the actuator button.

4. In the aerosol spray device of claim 3 in which the lever arm pivot is mounted in the sides of the carriage and on one side of which there are a series of positions with connecting slot means therebetween, whereby the pivots may be placed in said slots and adjusted to the varying lengths of the aerosol containers.

5. In the aerosol spray device of claim 1 in which one of the means connected with the carriage for contacting the actuator button comprises a fixed member with an opening therethrough adapted to register with the spray nozzle of the actuator of the aerosol container, and in which the fixed nozzle is securely adapted to be fastened to the aerosol container.

6. In the aerosol spray device of claim 1 in which the fixed member has a nozzle for said aerosol container secured thereto, said nozzle being a wide angled nozzle adapted to substantially cover the area in front of the spray device over a wide path.

7. In an aerosol spray container adapted to be mounted on a lawnmower, supporting means on a lawnmower for providing support for a bracket, a carriage member on said bracket at an acute angle relative to the mower, resilient spring mounting means on said carriage adapted to hold an aerosol container against said carriage, means for operating an actuator button in connection with said aerosol container, said actuating means comprising a fixed means for contacting the actuator button of the aerosol container, and movable lever means adapted to contact the bottom end of the aerosol container, whereby a pull on linear actuating means fastened to the movable lever means at one end and to the handle of the lawnmower at the other end will pivot the movable lever arm to dis place the aerosol container longitudinally relative to the carriage member, urging the actuator button portion of the aerosol container against the fixed operating means, resulting in the compression of said actuator button to cause a spray of the material held inside the aerosol container to be expelled therefrom, and allowing said spray to pass in front of the lawnmower and in the path of the lawnmower.

References Cited by the Examiner ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

ANTONIO F. GUIDA, RUSSELL R. KINSEY,

Examiners. R. I. BAYNHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE, A BASE MEMBER, A SLOPED CARRIAGE MEMBER ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AN AEROSOL DEVICE, SUPPORT MEANS THEREBETWEEN TO HOLD THE CARRIAGE MEMBER AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE BASE MEMBER, SPRING MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID CARRIAGE MEMBER TO HOLD SAID AEROSOL DEVICE TIGHTLY AGAINST THE CARRIAGE, SECURING MEANS FOR SAID AEROSOL SPRAY DEVICE TO FASTEN IT TO A LAWNMOWER, FIXED MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE AEROSOL CONTAINER AND SUPPORT SAME AGAINST LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT, AND PIVOTAL MEANS IN CONNECTION WITH SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVING A LEVER ARM LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID AEROSOL CONTAINER TO COMPRESS THE ACTUATOR BUTTON THEREFOR TO SPRAY THE GROUND AHEAD AND MOUNTED THE LAWNMOWER. 